Friday 7 July 2006

HLSS - Employability: HLSS - Employability: A school holistic approachA school holistic approach

Pat Green and Penny WelchSchool of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences

Friday 7 July 2006

Employability debatesEmployability debates

Debates are not new Who and what Higher Education is for Rapidly changing context of Higher

Education Rapidly changing nature of graduate

jobs ‘new’ students – instrumental

orientations?

Friday 7 July 2006

HLSS provision from late HLSS provision from late 1980s1980s

Student Link at level 3

Applied research projects engaging in experiential learning with public and voluntary sector organisations

Funded through Enterprise in Higher Education

Friday 7 July 2006

What students have What students have said about Student said about Student Link:Link:

“…a good all round experience. A great way to combine academic interest with a real-life situation”

“I have made good connections with people in a variety of fields I may not have met if I hadn’t chosen to do a Student Link” 

Friday 7 July 2006

What students have What students have said about Student said about Student Link:Link:

“…the organisation was so impressed, they have given me a full time contract!”

“It was the most important thing I did at University”

Friday 7 July 2006

Development during Development during 1990s:1990s:

Volunteering modules within the Social Sciences – Level 1 ‘Volunteering in the

Community’ Level 2 ‘Volunteering in Action’

Friday 7 July 2006

Philosophy:Philosophy: Linking academic and theoretical

learning with volunteering and community engagement Brings subject alive Learning by doing Extends networks for students Promotes student engagement in action

research http://asp2.wlv.ac.uk/webteam/confs/socdiv/sdd-anderson-green-0602.doc

Friday 7 July 2006

CELT funded research:CELT funded research: Should be credit bearing and

embedded in the curriculum Students take more seriously that

which is assessed Accreditation enables evidencing

of competence to employers Difficulties of undertaking extra-

curricular activities

Friday 7 July 2006

Students reported:Students reported:

Preference for subject specific knowledge acquisition alongside practical skills development

Preference for multiple opportunities at different levels of study

Keating, Green et al, 2003

Friday 7 July 2006

Level 1

Volunteering in the Community

Intro to Research Methods

Level 2

Organisations in Action

Volunteering in Action

Research Methods

Career Development Learning

Level 3

Student Link

Sociology Project

Research Methods

Friday 7 July 2006

HEACF, 2002 onwards:HEACF, 2002 onwards: This work formed the basis of the

university’s plan to HEFCE to develop

university wide

Friday 7 July 2006

Development of Development of provision:provision:

University wide electives SLS – accredited modules working

with VCS and not-for-profit sector SED – ‘Working for our future’

Friday 7 July 2006

Further developments:Further developments: Collaboration with external

colleagues Joint conference papers LATISS article HEA Subject Centre (C-SAP) funded

research ‘Volunteering in the ‘Volunteering in the Curriculum’Curriculum’

http://www.c-sap.bham.ac.uk/resources/project_reports/findings/ShowFinding.asp?id=132

Friday 7 July 2006

Further and future Further and future developments:developments:

LATEE funded work: Conference papers Article in preparation Planned conference: Critical Critical

Volunteering Volunteering September 2007 Edited book based on papers

Friday 7 July 2006

Initiative within CETLInitiative within CETL

Peer mentoring support within university community

Friday 7 July 2006

HE not just for HE not just for employment, but…employment, but…

Post-92 Universities have a responsibility to help students through to employment

Especially because our diverse graduates face inequalities

Graduate employment affected by status of HEI

Friday 7 July 2006

WRL and CBL WRL and CBL experienceexperience

Enhances student employability (Elias & Purcell, 2005; Harvey, 2006; Anderson & Green, 2006)

Establishes networks & connections with organisations and employers

Enhances subject knowledge, professional, technical skills and personal qualities

Friday 7 July 2006

WRL and CBL WRL and CBL experienceexperience

Develops wider understandings of employability

“Volunteering gave me the opportunity to further my basic skills of planning, organising, motivating others, team work and communication”

“University can be quite insular…but by being out in the community…you come to the end of your course with a greater sense of the community that surrounds you, and have a moral kind of culture to carry on whatever career you may have”

Friday 7 July 2006

An Holistic ApproachAn Holistic Approach

HLSS – diversity of largely non-vocational provision

Employability approach conceived of as ‘holistic’ (Harvey et al, 2002)

Employability more than just getting a job

Friday 7 July 2006

HLSS Employability HLSS Employability strategystrategy

Employability sub-group 2003 Welcome to your Future Welcome to your Future 20042004 School employability strategy

developed and endorsed 2005 Auditing of subject specific

strategies and approaches